A recent opinion piece in the Washington Post mentioned Unitarianism as one of five strategies to combat angst about the upcoming Trump presidency. Here’s an excerpt from the piece:

“Don’t doomscroll about Trump. Do these five things instead.” by Perry Bacon, Jr.

“You might be angry and fearful of another four years of Donald Trump being president. That’s how I feel. I want to encourage you to channel some of that frustration into these five actions: ….

… 2. Join a Unitarian Universalist congregation

If you’re part of a Christian, Muslim, Jewish or other religious group that meets regularly and engages politically, skip this. But there is a growing number of Americans, particularly on the left, who are religiously unaffiliated and not regularly congregating with people who share their values.

They should consider the Unitarian Universalists. I recently started regularly attending a UU service in Louisville. It’s much more political than the Christian churches I have previously been a member of. That turned me off at first. Since politics is essentially my job, I try (usually unsuccessfully) to avoid discussions of elections and government in my off-hours. And I was leery of a church whose openly liberal values would clearly turn off Trump supporters and therefore ensure a congregation that didn’t include many Republicans.

But before the election, church members engaged in politics in a practical way, encouraging congregants to go canvassing in opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment here to create a school vouchers program. (It failed.) So at least on Sundays, I was in a community of people working on a concrete, discrete local issue, as opposed to nervously speculating about Vice President Kamala Harris’s poll numbers.

Post-election, I was relieved to be in a space where we openly discussed shared values and ideals we felt had been rejected by America in electing Trump, such as support of immigrants and LGBTQ+ people.”

A follow-up letter (also in the Washington Post, December 15, 2024)

“A source of renewal
I applaud the practical advice offered by Perry Bacon Jr. in his Nov. 27 column, “Don’t doomscroll about Trump. Do these five things instead.” And I wanted to expand on his second tip: “Join a Unitarian Universalist congregation.” Unitarian Universalist congregations are particularly well-suited to supporting wounded hearts, anxious minds and bodies itching to take action. And even a practicing Catholic like me can feel at home in one.

Unitarian Universalism is a “non-creedal” religion, meaning that it neither requires nor bars any particular theological beliefs. Rather, members covenant — promise each other — to strive to live by six shared values, all centered on love. Two of those values are especially relevant to the current U.S. political reality: “Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion”; and “Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence and acknowledge our place in it.”

Not only do members of our congregations explore the spiritual and philosophical meanings of these values but, in my experience, we also move toward collective action in living them daily. My own congregation has self-organizing groups of members leading us in actions to protect democracy, vulnerable immigrants, the Earth and more. Most actions are focused locally, but we believe that the effects will ripple out beyond this place and this time.

Being centered on love means that we strive to support each other and everyone we meet with compassionate presence through the struggles of both public and personal life. It means that we strive to work not out of anger, spite or hatred, but deep, caring respect for all our fellow beings, whatever their political opinions. It means that I, who believe in the divine nature of Jesus Christ, can share a pew on Sunday with a beloved atheist, finding deep fellowship and a shared commitment to making this country a better place for everyone.

I urge you to find a Unitarian Universalist congregation to visit or join. Whatever your religious background or beliefs, it might be just the right community for you, right now.

Teresa Amabile, Amherst, Massachusetts”

Beth’s note: The Washington Post articles may be behind a pay wall.